


Inquisition Infiltration

by Inuy21



Series: Dragon Age One-shots [4]
Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age - All Media Types, Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: Gen, Infiltration, Other, confusing guards, cousins reunited, family reunion of sorts, other person's oc, running amok in Skyhold
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-31
Updated: 2017-08-31
Packaged: 2018-12-22 06:11:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,115
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11961369
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Inuy21/pseuds/Inuy21
Summary: When Evelyn returns from her missions, she's happily surprised to find her cousin, Rhys, in the Skyhold dungeons.





	Inquisition Infiltration

**Author's Note:**

  * For [GuileandGall](https://archiveofourown.org/users/GuileandGall/gifts).



> First off, this was done for an August Challenge. Day 31: Gift Fic
> 
> Second and more importantly, this was written for guileandgall's OC Rhys Trevelyan. I'm so glad that she let me play around with Rhys because I've loved him since first reading his stories! And I must thank her for helping edit, add to the story because I didn't want to overdo Rhys' character, and for the title (because I suck at those).
> 
> I had so much fun writing Rhys and I hope I get to do another piece with him because I had more plans that I could fit into this fic!

The guards had been put on high alert as there was suspicion that someone somehow breached Skyhold’s walls. It was yet unknown how such a person got in—likely through blending in with a large group or perhaps hiding amongst a cart of goods—but they led the Commander’s troops on a merry chase of hide and seek through the whole of the keep. 

There were reports from all over the courtyard about someone scaling a wall, and then the character would seem to vanish into thin air before a guard could respond. Then another report would come from across the area causing confusion until the guards were scattered from one end of Skyhold to the other in their search. 

It was bad enough that the only description they had to go on was a bright red head wrap. The little detail should have been a dead giveaway, but apparently whoever this person was, they were an expert at concealing their presence when it suited them. 

“Over here!” someone shouted near the stables. 

Guards and a few well-meaning residents rushed over to find a tall man standing atop the barn. The red head wrap dipped to cover the right side of his face. A jaunty smile spread his lips wide as he surveyed the area before him. Then he was nimbly running down the sloped roof and suddenly pushing off so his body hurtled toward the wooden scaffolding. 

The audience was captivated, holding their breath as they watched him soar through the air, a long arm extended to catch onto one of the planks. When he accomplished the feat, he then climbed the structure with ease. The guards were too impressed to move as he reached the platform then scaled the stone wall. Shouts from the patrols on the walls could be heard, setting the stunned guards into motion once again. 

Boisterous laughter rang through the air as the man continued to evade capture. He would let them get just close enough to think they had him then slip from their grasp like water from a sieve. To him it all seemed to be a game. Perhaps it was since the man hadn’t hurt anyone nor did he seem to have any intention on doing so, but they couldn’t afford to take that chance and let the man run amok through Skyhold. It may be some silly game of chase now, but no one knew who this man was or what he was capable of? He had great skill for a nobody. 

Skyhold was abuzz with activity as the Commander directed his men and the rest of the Inquisitor’s companions that had been left behind to join in the chase. Well, some of them. Sera was too busy laughing and further confusing the search, while Dorian and Solas didn’t seem to care as long as it didn’t interrupt their work. Josephine was having to deal with frenzied visiting nobles, doing everything possible to placate them. 

The rest of the Inquisitor’s companions were doing their best to strategically drive the intruder into a trap. He was evasive and clever, always one step ahead, until he leapt the short distance from a dilapidated roof to the ground. A sword blade appeared out of nowhere, making the man’s eyes go wide as he instinctively took a backwards hop.

A steady blade followed until his back hit the crumbling wall. His hands went up and the sound of laughter began to resonant around the two bodies. Cassandra remained stoic, waiting for the man to make his next move. After so much chaos, she couldn’t believe that he would so easily give up. 

Then the man tilted his head, one lone eye assessing the situation at hand and the woman attached to the sword. The laughter died to a low chuckle, but the wide stretch of his lips lingered as their gazes connected. 

“Who are you?” Cassandra growled, extending her arm so the tip of the blade was almost touching his skin. 

His grin turned a bit lopsided. “Your prey, my dearest,” he purred. 

Cassandra huffed and pressed the blade a little closer. 

A hand reached up, two fingers extended, to casually push the blade aside. “Rhys Trevelyan, cousin to your Lady Inquisitor.” He would have given a dashing bow if the sword wasn’t immediately brought back to the center of his chest in threat. 

Cassandra inspected the man before her. Surely if he was the Inquisitor’s cousin then he wouldn’t need to sneak into Skyhold. So, who was he? More importantly why was he here? When he shifted, the blade inched closer to his throat. She couldn’t take a chance that he might have a concealed weapon. 

“Hands behind your head,” Cassandra ordered. Her eyes narrowed as she watched him, waited for him to somehow slip away. 

Rhys linked his fingers behind his head as if relaxing against the softest pillows in the plushest of beds. "Ah, truly you are a Pentaghast for the steel in your eyes is harder than any dragon scale,” he said amiably. 

Cassandra scoffed and rolled her eyes. “If you think to distract me, then I must inform you that it won’t work.”

A charming laugh passed his lips. “It was an honorable capture, so I have no intention of sneaking away again, Lady Pentaghast.” 

“And I will not be taken for a fool,” she hissed, sword still keeping her captor from escaping. “So, I will be escorting you to your cell and see you shackled.”

“But we hardly know one another for such games, dearest.” When Cassandra’s eyes narrowed, Rhys’ lips twitched but the smile never died even when he acquiesced to her order. “Lead the way, my lady.”

~S~

After months away from Skyhold, Evelyn was ready for a small break. She knew it wouldn’t be for long, but perhaps she could at least get out of this armor and relax a bit. Unfortunately, it was not to be as Cassandra joined her just outside the stables. 

Evelyn was briskly informed about the intruder and the pursuit that ensued, and then the revelation that the man claimed to be her cousin. Her brow furrowed at that. She had more cousins than she could count, so it was possible, but why would any of them need to sneak into Skyhold? Why hadn’t they just written? As the two women walked down to the dungeon, Evelyn ran through a list of her cousins and could only come up with one name. 

It slipped past her lips as they came to a stop in front of a cell. Rhys was shackled as she had been after waking from the Conclave explosion, but he was in much better spirits. A wide grin split his lips as he pushed up to greet her. Evelyn’s lips quirked up as she shook her head. 

“What are you doing here? Besides causing trouble, Rhys?” Evelyn asked her cousin as she signaled for the jailer to set him free.

Rhys was one of the few cousins she managed to get along with, not just because of how close they were in age, but it was mainly because he wasn’t a stick in the mud. He’d taught her how to wield a dagger, though she still wasn’t proficient at the smaller blade. He had also been one of the few playmates she had after her siblings grew up and left. He was also one of the rare family members she corresponded with regularly after the explosion. 

“I heard you needed help.” Holding up and wiggling both his hands as much possible due to the bindings, he answered, “And I’ve still got two good hands.”

Evelyn eyed him up and down, a slight frown marring her features at her cousin’s sense of humor. She was glad to see him, no more worse off than the last time they had been to face-to-face. Not finding anymore horrid injuries—two arms, two legs, neck still attached, and still only one missing eye—a smirk eased onto her lips. 

“And you thought it best to analyze the Inquisition forces before joining them?” she guessed with a laugh. 

Free of his bonds, Rhys turned on Cassandra giving her the elegant bow now that he wasn’t at the end of her sword. “Lady Pentaghast here did a fine job of apprehending me. Ruthless and suspicious to the very end.”

Cassandra made a disgusted noise and turned her attention to Evelyn. “And now we are expected to take this scoundrel into our forces?” 

Rhys and Evelyn looked at each other, both of their faces cracking into grins before bursting into laughter. Cassandra scoffed at them, a slight a blush rising to her cheeks as she realized her mistake. How many of their elite forces were just like the Inquisitor’s cousin?

“Fine, I see your point, Inquisitor, but I still don’t like it…or him,” Cassandra complained before leaving the two cousins to their business. 

“The name is Rhys. R-h-y-s,” he called after Cassandra who was now stomping up the stairs in an attempt to ignore them. “I wouldn’t want you to misspell it when you’re journaling about me later, dearest.”

Another bout of laughter caught both of them as Evelyn punched his shoulder with a giggled shush. It was infectious and it felt like a lifetime since she’d seen him and, Maker, she was glad he was here. He would be a valuable asset to their team. Rhys had been an excellent archer before his injury, and it had taken time but Evelyn could affirm that he was even better now. 

Once they were alone, Rhys threw his arms around her and held her as tight as her armor would allow. Evelyn’s face pressed against the crook of his neck taking in the scent of leather, sweat, and something acrid she couldn’t quite place. She savored the closeness for a moment, then pushed him away and looked up at his face. “How long have you been here?” Evelyn suddenly asked, concerned, but not enough to completely kill her good mood. 

Had Rhys been sitting down here the entire time she had been gone? Surely not, for he didn’t seem too put out. Of course, Skyhold’s dungeon was probably cozier compared to some of the places her cousin had stayed. 

“A little over a week. Nothing too horrible. The food was actually quite good for prison rations.” Rhys looked down at Evelyn. “How long have you been gone, cousin?”

“Months,” she sighed. “I hate it, all this travel, dealing with demons and rifts.” Her shoulders rolled under the heavy armor she still wore. “But someone has to do it, and I’ve been marked by the Maker.” She held up a gauntlet-free hand. 

Rhys squinted, caught her hand and brought it closer, then nodded. Sure there had been letters, but being here, seeing Evelyn and this mark upon her made the situation more real. As if the giant hole in the sky wasn’t concern enough!

“And yet you fit right into the role, don’t you?” he asked with a smile. She was never one to back down from a challenge. 

Evelyn scoffed a laugh. “Unfortunately.” She tilted her head in the direction of the stairs. “Why don’t we go somewhere more comfortable to catch up? Plus, if you wouldn’t mind, I’d like to change out of this armor.”

“I’m not quite sure I’m ready for direct sunlight, but I suppose I will have to take my chances,” he quipped as he started to follow his cousin. “By the way,” he started just before they could mount the stairs, “I stashed my pack, bow, and quiver in your room, at least I hope it was your quarters. Lots of space with two balconies, off in a corner on its own?”

“That would be the Inquisitor’s private chambers, yes,” she acknowledged with a slight laugh. “Would you like me to retrieve your equipment while I’m there?”

“If it wouldn’t be too much trouble,” he replied, giving Evelyn a face splitting grin. 

“Will I be able to find them?” she asked in a more serious tone, knowing how skilled Rhys was at hiding not just himself but objects as well. 

Laughter echoed up the stairwell. “Perhaps,” he answered coyly. “If you can’t, I’ll be disappointed in you, Evelyn. But I’ll provide clues until you do.” A smirk played on his features as she huffed and turned from him. 

“I suppose if I can’t find them then you’ll just have to purchase new ones,” she chided playfully before running up the stairs with Rhys close behind. 

“Or I’ll steal them back later,” he retorted, laughter following them out the open door and into the sunlight.

**Author's Note:**

> Comments/critiques and kudos are always appreciated!


End file.
